Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-05-31
THE SOLDIER R-DEAD.
DECORATION OF THE GRAVES OF CON-
FEDERATrs AND FRDERALs.
0bservances at Hollywood and 0akwood
and at the Hebrew and Ma
tional Cemeteries.

The digging Of Confederate graves IL
Ills city began with fearful earnestnes'
Just a quarter Of n century ago to-day
Johnston had fallen back before Mcclellan
from Yorktown until be bad got within
few miles Of Richmond. Then he stopped
short and determined to deliver battle. MAY
3lst and June l. 1862. at seven Pines por
lions Of both armies became engaged. and
there was lamentAblv great loss OF life.
Then for tie first time tne Confederate
capltd understood war.
Bethel, Manassas. and Drewry's Bluff wer,
quickly gained triumphs. WILLIAMSBURG
WAS bloody; but IFS horrors were not un
der our eyes, while NJ seven Pines The
flashing oi the guns could be seen. some.
times, when The cannOnading lulled, could
he heard the rattle OF mu-kctry, and oc-
casiOnaliy the cheers Of The men I'm assault
rose over all the din aud reached the eX'
cited city.
STREETS FILLED WITH WOUNDED.
Tire results Of these two days Of hard
fghripe were that great numbers OF
men fell many died in their tracks
many more were wounded. Hun.
dreds Of the Confederate. walked 10
Richmond; others, too sorely stricken 10
help themselves. were brought here IN We
bicics. The army ambulaDcls were inIde-
quote in numbers, and 10 reinforce them
botel omnibusCs, stTeet-W1gOns, and pri-
yatc carriages were employed, and hun-
drrdS Of citizens Mded In the work OF ~.
moval. Sometimes fathers brought btcE
the dead bodies u sons and sons, fathers,
abd brothers, brothers. II was an alarm
ing time. Every person in the city had
loved ones at the front and knew not but
that The latest messenger from the field would
bring evil tidings.
But disiTessfnl beyond AL else was the
quickly realized fact thlt the military bO.-
pitals here were hOpelesSly inadequate FOR
he casualties Of great battle. and on
both nights the streets were filed with
" wOunded, for whom there were no accom-
modalions. some Of them we're temDo-
rarily placed in churches, and neflly every
house OF worship cheeriully gave up IT,
pew Gus shions IN make beds in the iohac 20
factories. then by the dozen being turned
into hos pitsls.
WAR BRINGS WORK FOR WOMEN TO DO.
Now it wgs that the people Of Richmond
made hospitals OF their homes; now il was
that wives and daughters gladly became
nurses.
IN the bouses Of patriots all the spare
rooms were filed with wounded, and manv
Of these renamed until entirely well ;
Others, W hen cOnvalc>cont, went to the hos
pilale, " hich meaa tinc mad been erected
IN great numbers on the suburbs.
The fiClGs Of the older dead At Oak wood
and at Hollywood grew greatly in acreage
from the bullet and bayonet harvest oi
seven Pines. Then. IN a month. came the
terrible contests At arms at Mechanic VILE.
Gaines's Mill, SayIge'S station, Frz'er's
Farm, Malvern Hill, Sc the >e3en days
battles. Most of those killed outright were
buried on the fields. The wounded were
brought here.
WhOn the armies left hcIe-as thew did
to 90 to second Manassas, to Shirp. p.bury.
and 10 Gcityshurg-thC wounded continued
io he brought here. In Nav. 1861. BEGIN fac
,sigc OF Richmond and Petersburg. aod II
wps never raised and the spilling ot blood
never ceased until the surrender in April,
1868.
FEUIT or WAR.
As the fruit Of that war 10000 Confedc-
rates lie II Oakwood; 1900 It Hollywood,
9nd thousands Of others on tho field, where
death Oycrto0k them. In the national GENE.
leIics around the city are thousand, ~
F,derals, generally those who were buried
where they fell, and whO.e bodies were
disinierred after tbe uar and placed ilpcr-
manCnt TeSiiugpl9cCs provided b' the
bounty OF The nation.
when Lco's ragged blttgiiUu~ 81 'iIif-
starved men came through Richmond cheer.
mgas they went TO battle our people ,%ore
they never would forget mem; t,9t co." in.
DEPENDENCE, come defeat, 'he gallant po'-
should ever live in the grateful meluy ol
this community. The promise is p-in-
kept. Thsnks TO the ladies' memorial $50
Citations once a year, all the people e ain ,
from labor. turn their thoughts back - the
var: revive the memories Of the day- oi
hToism and suffering. and 90 forth TO deco.
rate with flowers the graves OF those VINO.
~ the fragrant bloom Oi youth, Yielded
their lives for The cause thcy loved.
In late years Federals aud Confederate
have irateruiZed in This work. each e.rin.
tribute Of admiration 10 the other, and the
HOLLYWOOD Association has pressed upon
sister organizations the adoption OF ths Ma
iiona Dec0ratlOu.Dsv rs The Confederate
Mom0rla-Dsy, and with the result thut al
the three cemeteries in Richmond wnerf
Confcdcrates are buried and at the National
cemeteries near mere Yesterday was observed
a. the FloWerDay for the soldier Dead.
In MemOriain.
The following, by MIR. George ". Childs
oi this cltv, Nill strike q chord Of sy!npa-
thy in every patriot breast:
Once moro the day has come around
When on this hill with granite crowned
We meet to deck each loWly mound
With fruits OF May.
Let not single spO. bc seen
Without its flower or leaf or green,
But on each grave, however mean,
An of'ring lay.
For not a stone that fe,ks this hill
I,ut marks where rests a hero still,
VINO iR our hearts Will live until
In death they lie.
such deeds as these dead heroes did
shall be remembered, nor be hid
The thronging cares Of life amid.
Nor ever die.
Theirs ia the yctry in defeat
The triumph over death complete:
For stin in mem'ries fond and swee;
TO perish not,
Is better than 10 vanquish all
The foes that seek TO slay or thrall-
and at the end 10 tamely fall.
And be forgot
Then strow with flowers each lOwly bet
that holds the ashes Of our dead;
And let IL neer Of us be said
Forgotten lie,
rf-,,osa vbo so noblv hrayaIy stOOd
And poured, in eyer-deep'ning mood.
a crimson tide Of willing blood
For liberty.
~ OakWOOd.
Tie ladies' OF the OakwOod Memorial A.
sociaiion haVe never had a more desirable
day in all respects than was yesterday Tor
the annual celebration and decoration OF
the Graves Of the 10000 boys who wore the
gray that lie beneath the sacred sod OF this
cemetery.
The small patches Of clouds that darken-
ed the sky in the earlier part OF the day
disappeared and the sun sh0ne out brig H.
Iy but gently, and there was pleasant and
refreshing breeze all during the afternoon.
TIE streets and avenues leading 10 the
cemetery were quite dusty, and the comfort
OF the visitors wOHld have been greatly
added TO had a sprinkler been used. Alto
gether. however, those who attended The
memorial celebration made tie trip very
comfortably.
Some PERSONS spent the latter part OF the
forenoon or the earlier afternoon aud then
visited HOLLYWOOD; Others did the reverse.
The crowd proper began TO assemble soon
after 3 O'Clock. aud from this time until ),
and even O'Clock and liter, they came ia
large numbers. both in vehicles snd on foot,
and spent awhile viewing the graves and
then returned. The crowd would c0mp1re